Asininity
by RenikaChan
Summary: Sasuke turned Sakura avenger. It was his fault from the beginning. It was his fault that Konoha met her downfall earlier than she expected. Sakura fits somewhere into all this. Yet it isn't as simple as it seems. ItaSaku duology.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters. 

Spoilers: Basically for everything, since the plot completely changes.

**Asininity** -- Itachi & Sakura Story 

**Chapter One**

By A.Renika

* * *

_It was midnight, and the moon was directly in the middle of the night sky, glowing eerily over their heads. Light poured on the young girl's face, complementing her beautiful features as earnestness emanated from her skin. She was completely spellbound by her father's words, listening keenly and memorizing their intricate plan._

"_Sachi-chan, are you sure you're not cold in those battered clothes…yeah?" A man with blonde, long hair asked concernedly. "It's still awhile to dawn, you can borrow my cloak if you want…yeah." He made as if to take off his black cloak._

_Sachi huffed. "Deidara-kun, it's so hot here I wonder how you can manage to wear that at this time, much less in the afternoon." She smiled sweetly. "Thanks, though."_

_Deidara looked at Sachi in wonder, enwrapped in his own thoughts. It seemed so long ago since Sakura had barged into their lives, became a missing-nin and the mother of Itachi's child. But here they were, ready to take the last step to obtain the greatest power to ever walk the earth. He had no alternatives but to marvel at how well everything was going for them; and he had absolute faith that Sachi would not fail Akatsuki.

* * *

_

Tsunade stared at the fidgeting girl in front of her as she leaned forward in her seat, curiosity palpable. An Anbu had reported to her at the crack of dawn, having found this dirty, tired and scantily dressed girl lying on the ground asleep at the threshold of Konoha.

"Who are you?" Tsunade asked the inevitable question.

The girl looked her in the eye, her green eyes dilated and strangely familiar. The Fifth's thoughts floated over to her former student, now a missing-nin. Shaking her head mentally to clear the unwelcome memories, Tsunade refocused her attention on the young girl.

She could not be more than fifteen, even though her face was that of a matured woman. Her hair was short, reaching just at her collarbone. And the girl was dirty. Her hair was as grimy as used oil left in the sizzling pan, and Tsunade suspected that she had not washed for days, weeks even, since the foul smell of garbage had diffused to her delicate nose the second the girl had stepped in the entrance.

"I think my name is Sachi. That's what my foster mother told me. My mother had named me before she died," the girl began, interlocking and unlocking her fingers. "My foster mother, Kimi, gave this to me a week ago." Sachi pulled out a forehead protector with the Leaf symbol on the metal. There was a slash over the metal, a sign of betrayal to the village.

Tsunade pursed her lips, sensing a danger looming ahead. "Continue."

"I believe my mother was Haruno Sakura, if what my foster mother told me was correct," Sachi's voice dropped to a mere whisper, and Tsunade nearly lost the name.

Tsunade almost had a heart attack. Despite being a legendary ninja, her body was not as strong as it had been a decade ago. Even though her appearance still looked as if she was twenty, age was definitely catching up with her internal organs.

Then it clicked. That was why her eyes looked familiar. Sakura's eyes had always shone brightly like Sachi's – the exact same color – whenever she completed a particularly arduous medical jutsu.

Tsunade sighed inaudibly as waves of nostalgia washed over her, and memories came in tide after tide as she remembered her most precious student, the one with pink, cherry blossom hair and a name to match, a smile so bright it could light up the entire village. She remembered her love for her friends, her loyalty to her teacher, and her sacrifice to her patients. But something made Tsunade gasp aloud.

Haruno Sakura was dead.

* * *

Naruto had aches and pains all over. His body was sore, really sore, and all he wanted to do was just crawl into his bed and lie there forever. Yet Tsunade had called for an immediate meeting, just when he'd returned from an extremely exhausting mission. The old granny really knew how to pick the time.

Dragging himself to a comfortable position on the couch, he slumped into it blissfully, closed his eyes and relaxed. Kakashi and Sai were standing at one side of Tsunade's chair, hands crossed and a solemn look on both their faces. Sai was probably being a copycat; since there was no way he could have known what expression to have on his face in such a dire situation.

Naruto peeked an eye open. _Dire situation…?_

Yep. A girl, dirty, unclean and smelly, was sitting quietly on the interrogation chair, head bowed and back hunched. Naruto opened both his eyes, revealing their brilliant blue and unmasked interest. He opened his mouth to ask something, but Tsunade silenced him with a look. He closed his mouth again, but as silence pursued, he became more and more impatient. _Are they going to talk or not?_

Finally, Tsunade answered their unasked questions. "This is Sachi, and she said that she is the firstborn daughter of Haruno Sakura."

Naruto leapt off the couch with a burst of energy he didn't know he had in him. "SAKURA-CHAN? Where is she?" He turned to Sachi and grabbed her shoulders, hard. "WHERE IS SHE?"

"Naruto! Calm down!" Kakashi ordered, striding forward and removing Naruto's hands off Sachi forcefully. "Let Tsunade-sama finish."

Naruto turned to the Godaime of Konohagakure. "Well?"

"Sakura died giving birth to her."

Naruto could only stare dumbly at Tsunade. Sakura, the one who could plummet him into the ground with a chakra-filled fist? The one who encouraged him to go after Sasuke? The one who _ran after_ Sasuke to bring him back?

Naruto laughed. "She's not so weak as to _die_ giving birth to child! She's a medic nin for God's sake! She can't just _die_!" He looked around for confirmation, but all he received in return were petulant stares that reprimanded him for taking the matter so lightly.

Silence fell upon the room as his eyes widened in horror and realization. "She's dead, isn't she? Really, really, _really_ d…dead? Oh God." Naruto wrapped his hands around his head, trying to block out the shocking news. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to become stronger, so that he would bring his teammates back. But no, Sasuke had died first and now Sakura. As her best friend and teammate, he didn't even know how long she'd been dead!

"This is not happening…" Naruto wailed, slamming his fist into the coffee table, crushing the glass and cutting his skin.

Tsunade remained quiet, even as she watched her pretty coffee table shatter. She wondered if her grandfather, or even Sarutobi, had ever had had this kind of dilemma. How did they draw a clear line between personal feelings and business attitude? Had they ever had a faithful student who ran away and became a wanted missing-nin? How contradictory was that?

But life went on. First they had to solve the problem of Sachi.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"Are you a ninja?"

"Yes."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, but so did the rest of the ninjas present. "Where did you learn jutsus?"

"I copied them from other ninjas that I spy on." Closing her eyes, Sachi remained still for a second before reopening her eyes. "I have copying powers."

In front of her, Sachi's green eyes had bled to a crimson red, the three comas visible around her Sharingan. Not only had she discovered her Sharingan, she had also envolved into the second stage of it.

"That's the Sharingan! You're an Uchiha!" Naruto exclaimed, moving closer to Sachi. "Who's your father?"

"I don't know."

Then Naruto's face broke into a wide grin. "You must be Sasuke and Sakura's child! That must be it! That Sharingan is unmistakable! There is no other explanation!" Holding out his hand, he grabbed her dirty fingers in a firm handshake. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm your parents' best friend and teammate! Welcome to Konoha!"

Tsunade actually choked.

"Naruto, we haven't tested for her credibility yet."

The blonde wasn't listening. "I'll take care of her!" Naruto said enthusiastically, hugging Sachi close to his arms. She wasn't Sasuke or Sakura, but she was the child of those two, and if she were all they had left now, he wasn't about to let her go.

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, you don't get it. What if she's lying?"

"But don't you think it fits? Her green eyes and her Sharingan; how many Uchihas are left since the massacre? Who else has green eyes besides Sakura?"

"Many people have green eyes," Kakashi replied. "And there's always Uchiha Itachi."

"Pfft! Think about it; Itachi is Sasuke's worst enemy! There was no way Sakura would have had Itachi's child! It would be a betrayal to Sasuke!" Naruto huffed. He paused, and then his eyes shone. "Did you know what color your mother's hair was?"

"Kimi told me that it was a pretty pink, and she said that it was a pity I did not inherit it," Sachi replied, eyes furrowed as she tried to remember.

"Kimi? Who's Kimi?"

"My foster mother."

Naruto turned around to face Tsunade and Kakashi triumphantly. "See? Who has unique pink hair?"

Both remained silent, but Sai finally piped up. "Sakura-san."

Naruto snapped his fingers. "Exactly!"

"Why did you only come back after so many years?" Tsunade asked.

"Kimi gave me the forehead protector only a week ago. And if my mother and father belonged here, I would naturally belong to Konoha, right?" Sachi asked tentatively.

"Right!" Naruto answered, giving her a pat on her back. "Absolutely."

"Do you swear absolute loyalty to Konohagakure?" Tsunade prodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. Perhaps Sachi would not be a letdown. Besides, the country could use another Uchiha.

"Yes, I do." Sachi replied firmly, her green eyes glinting unnaturally.

Perhaps that was a shine of determination.

Hopefully.

* * *

Sachi silently cheered at her victory, but managed to keep her face vacuous.

She hadn't counted on Naruto to stand by her side on the first day. Things were definitely going well. As long as she could have Naruto at her beck and call, everything would be smooth sailing.

_Wonderful._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **_I can't believe I got myself back into this again. It's just so addictive, you know? You can't stop. Okay, haha, new story again people! This time I come back full force -- with a plot ready in hand! And it's a duology! This is the first time I'm writing with a plot...all those previous stories? Hah! No plot at all! So, this is something new I'm trying out, and I'm hoping it'll turn out all right and I can break my habit of leaving unfinished stories hanging in mid-air! By the way, I'm playing with the timeline a little bit. You'll see soon enough._

R&R, as always!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters. 

Spoilers: Basically for everything, since the plot completely changes.

**Asininity** -- Itachi & Sakura 

**Chapter Two**

By A.Renika

* * *

Endings were also beginnings. That's what Sakura learnt when Sasuke left abruptly with a soft thank you before knocking her unconscious. She'd woken up feeling regret, guilt and anger all rolled into one gigantic snowball in her snowing heart despite the warmth of Naruto's eyes and Kakashi's subtle comfort.

As per usual, she was being sheltered, protected and defended. Naruto would promulgate his promises of retrieving Sasuke from Orochimaru, come up with ludicrous ideas of capturing Sasuke and bringing him back to Konoha, and grin that idiotic grin of his if only to see her smile. Kakashi would blithely comment on some random things that had nothing to do with the raven-haired boy, take her mind off things and manage to accomplish the task of cheering her up anyway.

How she _despised_ it.

They weren't phony smiles, they weren't derogatory comments, and they weren't incongruous actions – but Sakura felt rancor in her mouth all the same. Everyone was acting as if Sasuke's disappearance didn't make the slightest difference. Naruto virtually shot off with Jiraya to train, and Sakura joined Tsunade in learning medical jutsu. She never knew what Kakashi did when they were away. As Team Seven split up and left for their different ways and purposes, Sakura had fretted and worried if they would ever be back together ever again.

Then she turned fifteen in a blink of an eye.

Naruto returned, a few inches taller than her and a thousand times stronger. His naughty and mischievous character never left him as he grew up, but his idealistic optimism did. He became down-to-earth, a mind so clear and unshakable of its goal that Sakura's was shaken as if an earthquake had just occurred.

Would she ever be as determined as he? It was a simple question that had plagued her like no other. She hadn't trained hard enough. Her will wasn't as strong as Naruto's, nor did her skills match up to him.

Her secret animosity was never directed at her friends and teachers. It was aimed straight at herself.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke never came back of his own accord.

Eventually, Sakura gave up waiting. No free lunch was going to drop from the sky onto her pink head any day. If she wanted something, she would have to earn it. The only problem was her lack of motivation.

Naruto was constantly there, training like there was no tomorrow; and Kakashi spent too much time with him to even remember the pink-haired kunoichi. One by one, they forgot about her. Not in the sense that they did not recognize her by sight, but in a way that made her feel completely left out from the inner circle.

The blonde was of course in the middle of the circle, the cream of the crop, the top notch. He had come back with Jiraya a transformed teenager, and now he was maturing at a breakneck speed that Sakura couldn't catch up with.

As she stood in the backdrop giving him tacit encouragement, she felt herself being pushed further and further into the background, until she was faded enough to be camouflaged.

And three years flew by like it was nothing.

Sakura passed her Jounin Examination before she turned eighteen. Naruto passed his with flying colours.

Team Seven went on missions, Sakura proving to be useful more than once, but Naruto was always at the centre of everyone's attention. Kakashi focused solely on Naruto's growth and watched him vigilantly, pushing him past his limits while keeping Kyuubi safely sealed away in Naruto's body. Even Tsunade worried her hair white for Naruto.

Naruto, Naruto, _Naruto_.

The entire village placed their hopes on this Hokage-to-be (Sakura had no doubts about that) and the once Team Seven boiled down to only the blonde. All of them knew about Naruto's desire to bring the Uchiha back into Konoha and showered him with blessings and affirmation.

But what was left for the rest of them? Were they supposed to sit back and wait for Naruto to accomplish his task? Let the Kyuubi host do all the work? He _was_ supposed to be the Sixth Hokage, after all. But there was the most imperative question: What if he _failed_?

If Sakura couldn't fight, couldn't train and couldn't help, she could only worry; but she wouldn't…and _couldn't_, for that matter.

Finally, the year she turned the tender age of eighteen, the impetus came from an eavesdropped conversation. Sakura packed and left Konoha – for good.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata grew herbs of all kinds. If you needed a herb for medicinal purposes, she'd have it. If you needed a sedative that was innocuous to your body, she'd know the exact proportion to mix the many different ingredients. If you needed a poison that was as clandestine as it was lethal, she knew the precise ratio to combine the herbs.

And those were just the tip of the iceberg.

She kept her knowledge discreet, though Sakura suspected her teacher knew _everything_ there was to know about what Hinata did. Many a time Sakura had been sent to retrieve some herbs wrapped tightly and securely in a container from Hinata – this time it was no different.

Despite being Tsunade's most trusted student (besides Shizune, of course), Sakura had not been able to pry into what was happening between the two of them. Hinata would come out from her greenhouse with the benevolent smile on her face, pearly white eyes full of trust as she handed Sakura the confidential package. They would make small talk about safe topics such as the weather and Hinata mostly eschewed the subject concerning her herbs.

Even though Sakura did not know exactly what was going on, Tsunade sent her for lessons with Hinata on herbs, because it would come in useful for medical purposes.

Truth to be told, Sakura never expected Hinata to devote her career to growing herbs. She'd expected the young heiress to continue as a ninja, if not a medic nin, with her Byakugan as an easy access to chakra.

But who was she to judge?

"Sakura-san, do you remember what I'd shared with you about narcotic substances and furtive poisons? Those are important information that you must _never_ reveal to others. Until a way is found to counter these untraceable substances, they must never get out, or else the world will suffer," Hinata admonished on a particular day when Tsunade sent Sakura over for lessons.

"Of course," Sakura replied stiffly, swallowing the urge to roll her eyes. She knew _that_.

"Then there is something else." Hinata proceeded to move down the twelfth aisle of her enormous storeroom of herbs and took out a bottle from the bottom of the shelf. She turned around to face Sakura, who had followed obediently behind.

"Tsunade-sama and I have been researching on herbs to heal rather than kill," Hinata revealed the secret. "However, they have massive negative side effects like degradation of cells and colossal enervation of chakra to the point of being hazardous to the receiver's health."

"What are you trying to heal that will nearly cost a man's life?"

"We are preparing for the day when Naruto-kun comes to a near-death situation. Tsunade-sama had said that it would be inevitable," Hinata replied despondently, her expression penitent.

Sakura's breath hitched. "What could happen?"

"Tsunade-sama suspects that one day, Kyuubi's chakra would do away with his entire body system. It would be a fight against the gods, and time would count for every second. That's why we are examining the herbs. They enable an extremely fast recovery but it's dangerous," Hinata stated monotonously, as if she had memorized her little speech by heart.

Sakura was perplexed. Tsunade hadn't mentioned a single thing to her! Given, she probably did not want Sakura to be troubled but she still felt affronted. Did Tsunade think she couldn't handle the fact that her best friend was in chronic danger, be it now or in the future? Did she think Sakura was really that _weak_?

Hinata could do nothing to mollify Sakura's anger. Tension built up progressively in a matter of seconds before Hinata could only stand rooted to her position while watching a very aggravated Sakura storm off.

* * *

Sakura contemplated whether to confront her teacher straight on or ask politely. A split-second decision had her bursting into her teacher's office like an avalanche.

Tsunade took one look at Sakura's acerbated expression and closed her Oxford dictionary-thick medicinal book in a sharp snap. Black couldn't even begin to describe the look Sakura currently wore on her face. She wisely kept her mouth shut and let Sakura kick off the conversation.

"Tsunade-shishou, _when_ were you planning on telling me that my most precious teammate was in very serious danger?" Sakura confronted, her voice deliberately moderate and well-under control.

"I wasn't planning on telling you." Tsunade counted the seconds before Sakura replied, her voice raised by several notches.

"WHY?" She almost sounded hurt.

"Naruto instructed me not to," Tsunade said, desperately trying to maintain eye contact with her student. "He didn't want you to worry."

"Since when did you let a minor _instruct_ you? You're my shishou _and_ the Hokage, for goodness' sake!" Sakura said stridently. "I don't mean to lose my manners, but keeping secrets like that from one doesn't exactly make the victim very happy! And does Naruto know what's going on?"

Tsunade nodded in affirmation.

Sakura sank down into the couch, debilitated as fatigue washed over her. She raised her eyes to Tsunade's in capitulation, and Tsunade felt a wave of nausea and butterflies in her stomach. There was a moment of silence, then –

"Why does everybody think I am weak? Am I tactless, stupid, irresponsible or something?" Sakura cried out, unable to withhold her emotions. "I'm always the last to know, aren't I? I bet Kakashi-sensei and Sai-kun were already informed…and even Hinata-chan! And I've been there, laughing along with you guys _without knowing a single thing_! Worse of all, you weren't even _planning _on telling me!"

Tsunade opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it again after a second's thought. Sakura suspected it was just an act to break the painful silence; a silence Tsunade couldn't find excuses to fill up to the brim with. Heck, it wasn't even half-full.

Sakura threw up her hands in surrender, got up and left, making sure to slam the door so loudly that it shook its hinges, sending dust to the floor.

* * *

As much as Sakura wanted to pass off Tsunade's decision as injudicious, she could not disagree that her shishou's actions were legitimate. Even her inner self reprimanded her.

_You know you **would** have been worried if you'd known._

(The main point is that I had to find out from someone else other than my shishou! Doesn't that mean anything to you?)

_No. See the reasonable side here, and don't take it as a serious umbrage. Shishou just wants you to concentrate on other things – like herbs – rather than agonizing over things that are out of your control. She **cares** for you._

(You'd just said it. Things are 'out of my control'. I can't help Naruto; no matter how hard I try. And it makes things all the more bitter because I hadn't known!)

_And so what if you'd known? Would it suddenly make you stronger than you are now? Or was it a bruise to your ego that you hadn't known what others did?_

(Don't twist my words against me! If I had known that Naruto was in severe danger, I would have had the motivation to train harder! I would have tried pushing past my limits! I could have been nimbler than I am now!)

_This is where you underestimate yourself. You **have** pushed past many limits as a kunoichi and you've trained just as hard as Naruto. Just because his progress is a thousand miles faster than you doesn't mean you weren't working. The Kyuubi-host is an exception. He is better equipped with the basics, the massive amount of chakra, the male body built for it and the desire to save Konoha – despite the people who once shunned him. You cannot undervalue that desire._

(And that's the desire I don't have! If I'd known, I would have wanted to save him so much that I would have risked my own life for him!)

_You've had that desire all along. And that desire didn't just reach out to Naruto, it reached out to your family and friends, even strangers lying on hospital beds that you did not know. Remember that obnoxious Anbu? He was on the brink of death and he still refused your help. But you did, and you worked **so** hard on him._

(It was my job to do so!)

_Exactly. Few people love being a medic nin, and even fewer are willing to risk their lives for another ninja. You collapsed instantly after reviving him, didn't you? Desire drives you farther than you can ever foresee._

Sakura knew she was beginning to cave in. What she said made sense, after all. In fact, she was pretty exulted to know that at least she had been training hard, and had not shirked her responsibilities.

She leaned back against the tree, enjoying the cool shade its leaves were providing.

(Maybe you are right.)

_Of course I am._

(Arrogant bitch.)

_Whiny cunt._

(Oh, shut up.)

_Is that what you say to someone who'd just cheered you up tremendously?_

(I wouldn't go so far as to say 'tremendously'. And _you_ are _me_ anyway.)

_That's no way to treat your therapist._

(You're a built-in therapist, whether you like it or not, so stop fishing for compliments.)

_I'm not speaking to you until you apologize to Tsunade-shishou and I._

(Why should I apologize to Tsunade-shishou or you?)

_In case you'd forgotten, you were the one who imprudently blasted through the door screaming your lungs off…_

(Uh huh. No.)

_It's impertinence, no matter how you look at it._

(The straitjacket of filial propriety…)

_Indeed._

(Stop trying to sound so wise.)

Pushing off the ground, Sakura leapt from rooftop to rooftop to avoid hindrance. If she was going to apologize she couldn't be interrupted on the way. She decided not to go by the main entrance – this way her arrival would be unannounced.

She landed softly on the rooftop next to Tsunade's office, tied a hook to a rope she had with her at all times and gently hooked onto the balcony railing outside the office's window.

As Sakura preferred to crawl across to the balcony than swing to it like Tarzan the monkey (jungle) man, she tightened the rope and cautiously moved across until she successfully reached the balcony without detection.

She was about to open the window when she noticed an unfamiliar figure sitting opposite of the desk of Tsunade. Upon further inspection she realized the man with white hair was none other than Jiraya-sama himself.

Sakura checked if they had noticed her presence – apparently not. A deep frown was etched on Tsunade's face and it only grew deeper as Jiraya continued speaking. The matter was ostensibly serious. Luckily, Sakura had chosen the balcony that was near the couch and not directly to the right of Tsunade's seat, thus Tsunade would not be able to notice her even if she stood up. Jiraya would though, so Sakura could only keep low as she continued spying.

She could easily make out the slightly muffled and disgruntled voice of Jiraya. Whatever Sakura heard from the conversation couldn't have been good, because her expression soured.

With a dour expression imprinted on her face, Sakura surreptitiously left, all thoughts of apologizing flown out of the window.

The betrayal of Sasuke ended the hope of Konoha and began the trail of Sakura's perfidy.

Tsunade's actions seemed like such a small matter now.

* * *

**A/N: **_Woots! Another chapter! And for those who were getting impatient of waiting...I suggest you check for my story every two months. My updates will definitely not be frequent, unless our dear teachers decide to let us off for common tests and pop quizzes every freakin' week! Being a perfectionist, it would naturally take me forever to get a sentence right. So yeah, that's why it's so short yet it took so long to get this chapter out._

_**For those who are confused by the timeline (aka this chapter):**_

_The previous chapter was a preview to what had happened...and will be happening after I finish this first arc. **This **chapter is the juicy part where Sakura runs away._

R&R, as always!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters. 

Spoilers: Basically for everything, since the plot completely changes.

**Asininity**

**Chapter Three**

By A.Renika

* * *

"Eh, Sakura-chan? What are you doing here?" An extremely (but pleasantly) surprised blonde asked jubilantly, swinging the door open and receiving Sakura with a bear hug. 

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out and get some ramen," Sakura replied in an amiable tone that was rarely used with Naruto.

Deciding to ignore the fact that his teammate was acting like it was the last day before he died, Naruto's face grew more eager by the second. Finally! Sakura was the one who asked him out this time round! Perhaps she had finally resolved to forget Sasuke and start over again. _With him._

The thought immediately flew out of the window, however, when Sakura stepped aside to reveal Sai standing with a phony smile behind her.

Both of them had already gotten used to his uncanny and abnormal smile after realizing that it really was a hopeless case for him to be able to have natural human expressions again.

"A team gathering." Sakura nodded toward the artist.

"Why all of a sudden?" Naruto asked as a tiniest, almost undetectable suspicion crept into his voice.

Sakura was quick to vindicate. "Because it's been a while since we all sat down and had a relaxing conversation. Did you realize that all we ever talk about now is how to get…_him_ back and how to go about our missions? We don't even talk that much about the weather anymore."

Naruto casted Sai a dubious eye. He didn't want this incertitude about his own teammate. If he had to process, filter and examine what his teammate's words might signify or imply, then he didn't know whether to trust himself any longer.

"What are you waiting for? Ichiraku Ramen awaits us!"

* * *

If Sakura had any tears left after Sasuke abandoned them, she would have cried. The whole scene seemed so _normal _and painstakingly perfect… Her breath caught as she reminded herself why she was leaving all of this behind. 

Naruto was downing his fifth bowl of ramen when Kakashi popped by and decided to join them.

"You're being exceptionally quiet today," Kakashi remarked casually. "By now you should be stridently ordering Naruto to stop eating."

"Well I'm jiggered!" Sakura replied in a saturnine tone.

"Right. What's going on, Sakura?" Kakashi's voice might be oozing with amiablitiy, but the warning in his voice was less than affable.

Sakura couldn't look into his eye. Instead, she shot him a hostile look that ended the conversation.

"Naruto! Haven't you had enough?"

But the blonde's exultation was not to be diminished. "Until I finish Sai's too!"

Dark scintillating eyes met green ones. For once, Sai's eyes were so full of something she could not name that she had no alternative but to look away. It was too painful.

This kind of banality in Konoha was something she would never tire of. The vapidness of a kunoichi's missions was something she could keep on doing forever. The triteness of everyday life with her friends and family were days she wished would not end.

In short, she would miss Konoha.

And that made her all the more determined to leave it.

* * *

Sakura had an innate shrewd mind. She'd been one of the brightest students in class (behind Sasuke, of course) and had a talent for detail and perfection. She was nimble in her work and she could grasp a concept as easily as controlling her chakra. And that was saying something since most ninjas were not adroit enough to control their _own_ chakra. She was the apt student that all teachers would wish for. 

Therefore, it wasn't hard work for her to excogitate a plan to get out of Konoha unnoticed. She knew the schedules for Anbu rounds thanks to Tsunade, and she knew which parts of Konoha had the weakest surveillance.

The main entrance was the easiest way out. While there were two guards standing at attention every hour of the day and night, they were only of Chunnin Level. There was already a shortage of Anbus and Jounins, so Konoha could only place the next best ninjas at the threshold. The Chunnins stationed there assuaged the worry of enemies attacking from the main entrance, thus the Anbu only went by every five hours.

Chunnins would be quick to report any extraordinary sightings, but if Sakura brought them down they wouldn't be a problem.

Sakura assailed them surreptitiously, so swiftly and silently that even their groans did not manage to disturb the tranquility of the midnight. The moon was hidden behind dark, ominous clouds – a bad premonition – but Sakura's mind was made up.

As she leapt from tree branch to tree branch, a mixture of emotions suddenly welled inside her, choking her so much that she had to slow down, despite not having escaped to safe boundaries. Anbu still passed by the path frequently, and Sakura definitely did not want to be waylaid on her first day as a Missing Nin.

Taking a deep breath to quell her unwanted feelings, she felt the oxygen invigorate her body and the strength return to her legs. Flexing her muscles, she leapt off again, higher and further this time, a dour expression adorning her beautiful features as she disappeared into the menacing darkness.

* * *

"The two guards who were standing at the main entrance were knocked unconscious, Godaime-sama. All the hidden Chunnins were also surreptitiously ambushed. None of them are dead and they do not have any injuries except a minor concussion. They should have retained their memories and would be available for questioning in a few days." Izumo Kamizuki stated dutifully and monotonously before bowing and leaving the room. 

"This obviously wasn't done by an outsider! Who would have known about the hidden ninjas ten kilometers away?" Tsunade found herself muttering. "And the cameras! Not a single one spared from being disconnected!"

A sharp rap on the door penetrated through the Fifth's thoughts.

"Enter."

A silver haired ninja strolled in languidly and placed himself comfortably on the couch. The only giveaway to his inner thoughts was his serious eye.

"I believe this is a good time as any to check on Sakura," Kakashi answered before Tsunade asked.

"It is _three _in the morning. It's not even the crack of dawn!" Tsunade hissed.

"And I think you will find Sakura quite out of bed."

* * *

One should never ask a question he knows the answer to. You usually get what you don't want or undesirable consequences follow. Sakura _knew_ she was pushing it, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Even if it meant she _might_ just lose her life. 

"You think you can beat me, huh?" Sakura huffed arrogantly, tilted her head and looked down at her opponent.

She'd spent _weeks_ searching for him, all over the borders, and trying to guess where he went. Now that she had finally found him, she wasn't about to let him slip through her fingers.

"I am not going to waste time on a supercilious harridan like you." He replied virulently.

"So you're scared now?" Sakura taunted, resting her hands on her hips and fixing her green eyes on his fake ones.

"Stop your nonsense before I decide to kill you."

"Oh, it's gonna be a tragedy now?"

"Except that you're not watching it from the screen."

"Bring it on," Sakura threw down the gauntlet even though she knew she had slim chances of winning. "But first, bring me to your leader."

He turned his back on her. "Finally you get to your point. Next time you beat about the bush I really _am_ going to kill you."

* * *

The whole of Konohagakure was in an uproar. 

"_Did you _hear_? Godaime-sama's own apprentice betrayed Konoha!"_

"_I know! I heard!"_

"_If her apprentice can do it…why can't she? That old woman's gonna be the downfall of Konoha!"_

"_Preposterous!"_

"_The audacity!"_

"_Absurd!"_

"_The SHAME!"_

The news pervaded throughout the country like wildfire. Nobody could stop talking. The sweet, kind, caring apprentice of Tsunade-sama was now a notorious Missing Ninja.

Tsunade couldn't blame her people for vilifying the kunoichi. She watched as Sakura's name was degraded on the streets, vituperated within households and reviled between comrades. She wouldn't even try to vindicate for what Sakura had done.

The hope. The desire.

The remorse. The animosity.

The enmity. The hate.

Tsunade felt it all.

She was sure that Sakura's parents, Naruto and Kakashi were feeling the same thing too.

_Why?_

_Had she been planning this all along?_

_Had she considered all possible consequences?_

_Was she using me?_

_What the hell was she __**thinking**?_

Random questions popped into her head and made it spin. It felt like she'd just dunked ten cartons of beer. Tsunade's stomach churned and burned, making her nauseous and close to fainting. Her vision blurred and before she knew it she was seeing two Shizunes.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked concernedly, putting down the pig and reaching for a glass of water.

With all the force she could muster, Tsunade pushed the glass away wearily. "Get out…please." Tsunade managed to strangle the words out from her throat. "Leave me alone."

"The town is castigating you for something you didn't do and you're going to sit back and let them?"

"Yes I am. It _is_ my fault, after all. I didn't teach her properly. She doesn't even _know_ what it means to be _loyal_ to her country. I'd have thought she would, having been under Naruto's influence for so long…but no! She turns her back on us the moment she's got what she'd been after. Everything I'd taught her…she just took it and ran. End of story."

"I came to give you the letter she had left behind."

"And Kakashi?"

"No news from him yet."

Tsunade slumped on the table. "How could she do this to me? The shame, the pain! I _trusted_ her. How wrong I was!" Tsunade raised her arms in surrender, laughing humorlessly at the irony.

She had thought she could trust Sakura. She seemed so…true and honest. She was solicitous and joyful. The perfect student. She was like a symbol of inerrancy.

But now she was just a peremptory little fish in the big ocean. Who did she think she was? Did she think that she could survive out there?

Sakura and Sasuke.

They were one and the same.

Both thought they could make it out there. True, neither of them had been found yet, but it was only a matter of time before they returned. Tsunade knew better than to let this sparkle of hope burn. She blew it out once and for all.

* * *

It was more of a note, really. A single sentence.

_I will be back to serve my punishment._

* * *

_**A/N:** This was ready quite some time ago. I was just procrastinating. Sorry for the wait! Now on to chapter four..._

**R&R, as always!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters. 

Spoilers: Basically for everything, since the plot completely changes.

**Asininity**

**Chapter F****our**

By A.Renika

* * *

"Steal Orochimaru's _Kuuchin_ and you can join Akatsuki." The leader stated eight words, yet it set off an instant uproar.

"This is to ascertain her ability," Sasori cut in. "We do not want trash, do we?"

"I had always wanted to take that snake-boy down…yeah," Deidara muttered loudly.

"Perfect. You may accompany Sakura-san here on this mission," the leader decided.

The cave was darker than night itself, but Sakura soon managed to adjust to it and could see the faint outlines of the other members. None of them looked too friendly – but then again she hadn't been able to see all that clearly.

Sasori had taken her to the hideout where the demon-sealing ceremony took place whenever a demon-host was successfully captured. Although the leader did not summon for their presence, almost all of Akatsuki's members appeared to see their new member. Word had spread that it was a kunoichi and they were eager to take a look at how she looked like.

The leader had been to the point: he was only interested in her medical skills and she had to use them for Akatsuki. He had no doubt that she was strong since she had once been trained under one of the legendary sannin, and he'd expected no less. Therefore, her only mission to prove herself would be to retrieve _Kuuchin_, the ring that was still resting on Orochimaru's lifeless hand.

Sakura turned toward the entrance. "Deidara-san?"

The blonde was beside her in a flash and walked together with Sakura out of the gigantic stone.

The afternoon sunlight blinded her and she momentarily saw white. She shut her green eyes tight and then blinked fiercely a few times. "Stupid spelunkers," Sakura grumbled.

"The leader likes the dark, yeah," Deidara commented as they casually strolled along, passing trees and bushes.

"All I could see in that cave were the faint outlines of everyone," Sakura replied, irritated. Suddenly, she threw a kunai at a tree north-west from where they were facing.

"Bananas?" Deidara inquired, and Sakura had a distinct feeling that he'd raised his eyebrow, despite his face being shed from her view.

"It should suffice for our mission." Picking up the bunch of ripe, yellow bananas and her kunai, she plucked one and handed it to Deidara. "Start eating. I want to finish this mission as soon as possible."

The artist peeled his banana elegantly, so that the skin opened into a perfect flower. He took a bite. "So how do you plan to go about this mission…yeah?"

"Do you plan to kill Orochimaru?"

"Not today," the blonde replied with his mouth full. He heard Sakura murmur something amidst the chomping of his teeth. "What?"

"Do you think Sasuke-kun would be with him?"

"I don't give a damn."

Sighing inwardly, Sakura took a bite of banana. "Didn't you say that you wanted to kill Orochimaru?"

"Not today," Deidara repeated. "I'm just collecting information first. It's called the art of preparation…yeah."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Throwing her banana skin onto the damp ground, she leaped onto a tree branch and began their journey.

* * *

They reached before dusk. Sunlight poured over the entire forest, rays of light managing to escape past the thick canopy and hitting softly on the two ninjas.

The Sound Country was as quiet as a cemetery. There was no one wondering about, and even animals seemed to vanish off the face of the earth. Plants seemed to have shriveled and dried up by the lack of water. In other words, this was not a place suitable for human beings to live in.

Sakura and Deidara traipsed silently through the trees. There was not a proper road in sight, except for a few clumsily cleared pathways, which suggested that someone actually lived in the vicinity.

Sakura suddenly stopped. "Any particular plans, Deidara-san?"

He shook his head, glancing sideways at her. "You do?"

She huffed. "But of course. Listen closely."

Ten minutes later, Sakura had taken down all the guards on duty and had Deidara trap them in a temporary clay cave. It wasn't difficult – apparently Orochimaru didn't think his hideout would be so easily found. He had placed mere Chunnin guards around the area. None of them had known what was happening before dropping unconscious.

As Sakura creaked the door open, she felt an immediate spike in a chakra she couldn't recognize. Someone knew of her entrance. Yet the chakra was gone in an instant. It was as if the person had left without any trace, but Sakura had the gut feeling that he was still around and impending her next move.

It didn't matter to her whether he was here or not, as long as he did not interrupt her mission. Sakura was always focused, and if her external surroundings didn't affect her in any way, she didn't see the need to terminate the person.

It was the most unkempt hideout Sakura had ever seen. The stone walls made the place look unwelcoming and radiated a kind of coldness that could only be associated with winter. Sakura hated it almost immediately.

The laboratory wasn't hard to find: in fact she got the right door on the first try. She entered the room stealthily and closed the door behind her. A gigantic computer dominated half of the room, with millions of colored wires and labeled plugs connected to it. There were three long glass tubes containing ominous looking liquids that were bubbling like volcanoes ready to erupt.

Not seeing the ring she was looking for, Sakura ventured deeper into the laboratory. There was one wooden chair beside a mahogany desk, and on the desk, an oil lamp. The wick was dry.

Finally, Sakura saw what she was after. It was indeed a lifeless hand: in fact it looked so much like wax that Sakura could hardly believe it was once flexing and moving. Knowing that time was running out (it was always good to get out of your enemy's land as fast as possible), she slipped the ring off the finger and placed it carefully into her pouch.

Sakura let out a sudden yelp when an enormous amount of chakra seemed to sweep in over her like water and choked her. Turning around, she found herself face to face with the reason she'd left Konoha and joined Akatsuki.

"Sakura…" Sasuke said monotonously, "What are you doing here?"

Sakura was surprised that he still remembered her after all these years. She was too overwhelmed to say anything, instead choosing to remain silent, mentally preparing for a fight that might just start.

"I said," Sasuke repeated, his voice dangerously low, "what are you doing here?"

Sakura had been preparing for this moment ever since he revealed his presence. "I was just leaving, Sasuke-kun. Or am I not allowed to?"

"What did you take?"

"Nothing that would interest you."

Sakura fought to keep her voice steady and calm, and she thought it came out rather well, even though she could practically hear her heart trying to jump out of her chest.

"Put whatever you have taken back to where it was supposed to be, Sakura, and I will let you go," Sasuke threatened.

Sakura whimpered, and slowly took out the ring she had taken from the finger. She returned it to its original place.

"Now go," Sasuke instructed.

"Why don't you come with me, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura half-pleaded. "You can just-"

"_Leave_."

There was nothing she could do.

* * *

Sakura returned the guards to their original lookouts, with a modified memory.

Deidara had waited impatiently for her, but he could not deny the fact that the kunoichi had skills. While Akatsuki members would prefer to flaunt their power and leave the place in a decimated state, Sakura returned it to normal, as if no one had ever penetrated the security.

Orochimaru, who was away, would never be alerted, and Sakura was able to retrieve the ring successfully without taking longer than necessary. She demonstrated another kind of skill and stealth altogether. Deidara could not help but feel a sense of respect for the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Not bad for a first mission, yeah," Deidara commented casually as they strolled through the forest.

Sakura raised a cocky eyebrow at him. "Not bad? I'd say I was brilliant."

Deidara mirrored her grin. "Not even an official Akatsuki member and already acting like one…yeah."

* * *

The leader looked up from his examination of the ring. "You're smart to not have put it on your finger immediately after stealing it."

"I knew Orochimaru would not have left his precious ring unprotected while he was away. That would be underestimating him," Sakura replied.

"Usually, others would have had it on the moment it was within their possession," the leader looked at her suspiciously.

Sakura remained stoic as the leader scrutinized her. Without continuing his sentence, he returned to examining the ring.

"I want the ring void of any remaining traces of Orochimaru," Sakura finally broke the silence. "He has contaminated the ring."

Again, she received no reply from the leader. Instead, the man gently touched his own ring to Orochimaru's and a flash of white light blinded them before returning the cave to its original darkness.

Sakura stared in awe as her hand moved instinctively towards the ring, her fingers barely touching the tip of the edge. Chakra seemed to be drawn from her into her ring, and she found that she didn't mind the slightest. The ring had recognized her as his new master.

The ring was still glowing faintly when Sakura finally slid it onto her finger. A wave of comfort washed over her, making her feel complete and strong. There was no looking back now. The ring was part of her and she was part of Akatsuki. Her fate was sealed.

"So, Sakura," Sasori said conversationally, "why isn't Orochimaru standing outside the cave screaming for his ring right now?"

Sakura glanced at Sasori weirdly. Sasori, who hardly talked to anybody, who took no interest in the people around him, had asked her a question out of the blue.

She heard Deidara beside her let out a cough that sounded like a poorly disguised laugh.

"I don't think he will realize it is gone until he tries to put it on again," Sakura replied mysteriously.

Deidara chuckled at the thought of his clay replica ring sitting comfortably on the dead finger like it had been there all its life.

* * *

**A/N: **_This came later than promised. Sorry for the delay, but I hope to speed things up a bit, so the story is moving a a faster pace than originally planned. Hope you guys enjoy it all the same, and review to keep me motivated! (:_

**R&R, as always!**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters.

Spoilers: Basically for everything, since the plot completely changes.

**Asininity**

**Chapter Five**

By A.Renika

* * *

Her ears were muffled. The entire forest seemed deadly quiet – even the birds were silent. Her skin breathed in the still air.

_This isn't good,_ Sakura thought.

A gentle breeze passed through, moving the shadows cast by the leaves above. Sakura's eyes flickered to her left.

_Is it there?_

Groaning inwardly, she inched a step towards her right. _Keep focused._

_Where is it?_

Sakura was getting more frustrated by the second. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead, sliding past her eyes and dangled dangerously on the bottom of her chin. Her fingers itched to wipe it away, but…

_FOCUS!_

If she made one false move…

"YOU'RE DEAD!"

* * *

"Tsunade-sama! Please! You cannot continue letting him go on like this!" Shizune begged.

_You cannot let yourself go on like this,_ Shizune silently added.

Kakashi sat beside the occupied bed, ignoring the one-sided verbal battle between Shizune and Tsunade. Shifting his broken arm into a more comfortable position, Kakashi stared moodily at the blonde lying lifelessly in front of him.

Despair seemed to echo off the four white walls of confinement.

Kakashi was never careless, never reckless, especially not when it came to missions. He observed and he planned. He analyzed and he attacked. And he never forgot his team.

They had it all worked out. Ambush and kill. It was a two-on-one combat, giving them the advantage. What they hadn't counted on was the reinforcements that were a mere three miles away.

Not only had they failed to complete their mission, they were all heavily injured. The other three Anbu members were still resting in bed. But he had to wake up. He had to make it to _his_ bedside.

That hotheaded yellow midget had over trained himself – again – and was now sporting numerous broken bones and tendons as well as many scars and bruises due to an overdose of Kyuubi's chakra.

Kakashi should have been at his teammates' bedsides, watching over his team. Instead, he was in Naruto's room, hovering over the blonde like an overprotective angel. They weren't a team anymore – Naruto couldn't bear to find another replacement for Sakura when Sasuke had been so easily replaced by Sai.

Truthfully, Kakashi wouldn't have stood for it either. Figuring he had a better chance to know firsthand information about Akatsuki's ongoings if he were an Anbu, he returned to his original job.

Receiving direct orders from Tsunade behind the mask, Kakashi and this team set out for various missions – some involving Akatsuki, others, not. This was the first one they had failed so far.

Kakashi was meticulous and he was well prepared. And he remembered that he was in a four-man team.

_But it just wasn't Team Seven._

"Naruto is getting stronger, Kakashi."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"And I have another mission for you, after you have recovered."

"What is it?" Kakashi asked, curious. Tsunade never discussed missions in the presence of those who were not involved.

"You will resign as an Anbu and assist Jiraya in the training of Naruto's control over Kyuubi. We believe he is ready; and, should he fail, the remedy has already been discovered."

"I understand, Tsunade-sama."

* * *

"_If you don't kill me, I'll kill _you_."_

"YOU'RE DEAD YEAH!"

Sakura spun around at the sudden outburst from Deidara. She missed her footing and accidentally stepped on one of Deidara's elusive clay bombsites. She only managed to minimize the impact it had on her before she was blasted alive.

Channeling her chakra to speed up the healing of her arm, Sakura darted for shelter. Her arm was mended. Ever since her training with Deidara and Tobi had begun, her healing speed had increased by leaps and bounds. She could heal a broken arm within seconds whereas before she had had to take a full five minutes.

Tobi, as always, was nowhere to be found. He would hide among the trees and observe the combat between Deidara and Sakura, but he never assisted either side, nor did he allow them to attack him. He always managed to just disappear.

Deidara figured he was just plain lazy, and since Tobi could not and would not appreciate his artwork, he decided it was a waste of time to coax Tobi into training with them.

Sakura's lips curled into a malicious grin as she flattened herself against a tree bark, panting silently. After just two days of training she found out that Deidara simply could not resist his artwork in action. Whenever she was about to get bombed, Deidara would unwittingly reveal his presence. Since his emergence meant danger was near her, Sakura learnt to be especially vigilant when she sensed his excitement.

Him giving her a scare was a new tactic, though.

It didn't matter; she'd seen him.

Sakura never told Deidara about his weaknesses: he had a tendency to stay in one hiding place, even if he'd left it for a magnificent blast of his artwork. Dealing with Deidara meant dealing with sudden explosions as well as sand and dust blasting full force in your face and blurring your eyesight.

Sakura learnt to use her well-controlled chakra to maintain a clear vision and to propel sawdust away from her sensitive eyes. She could see through haze and observe her surroundings despite all the obstruction.

Sending out a clone for distraction, Sakura masked her own chakra and crept towards the spot behind the rock Deidara was hiding in. Deidara never noticed her approach. The Sakura clone had its own chakra circulating as well – a jutsu Sakura had learnt from Naruto. It depleted a colossal amount of energy, but it served as an irreproachable diversion.

Gathering chakra at the tips of her fingers, she sliced through one of his leg tendons, causing him to lose balance and fall.

"What the-" Deidara cried out before hitting the ground with a loud thud.

Sakura grinned mischievously. "This training is officially over. Or do you want me to kill you before we end?"

"Kill" was a word that hung on Akatsuki's lips. Everyone used it against each other, and sometimes, even weapons were drawn.

Despite those gleaming sharp edges that sometimes threatened her neck, Sakura felt safe. Under the hostility, there lay a sense of security that wasn't supposed to be there. And it comforted her, somehow.

Of course, that didn't apply for every single Akatsuki member. Hidan was always leering at her, and Zetsu couldn't seem to make up his mind. But Sakura didn't care. She was here with a goal in mind, and she wasn't leaving without reaching it.

A broken tree branched cracked loudly as the presence left.

Deidara glanced at Sakura. Quirking an eyebrow, "What do you think he was doing here, yeah?"

She shrugged. "Perhaps he wanted to pay you a visit."

Deidara snorted, the sound so disgustingly like a pig's that Sakura's nose twitched in annoyance. "The day he pays me a visit is the day elephants fly and my clay models fail…yeah."

Ignoring the queer metaphor, Sakura began to walk opposite the direction the presence had headed. He'd stepped heavily on that branch on purpose, to taunt them. When the echo had bounced off the tree barks, Sakura was mired in deep malaise. It meant something, something ominous, and Sakura had a feeling that she was going to be caught in the middle of the storm.

Sakura grinded her teeth in frustration. She was like a prey that knew a predator had set his eyes on her, just that he was too camouflaged for her to locate him, rendering herself absolutely vulnerable. She had to constantly watch her back, stay vigilant and be prepared to escape should the chance present itself. It was arduous and fatigue was a regular visitor. But she couldn't relax. A kind of dreading gloominess settled itself around Sakura, and she took the resounding crack as a bad omen.

Something wasn't right. She had watched her every step, every move, flawless and impeccable. Yet this problem tailed her like a hungry hawk that had spotted his next dinner.

Sakura halted in her footsteps. No. She wasn't going to be the prey. She wasn't going to cower in a corner and let him intimidate her. No one would protect her this time – she was on her own two feet, and damned if she wasn't going to stand firm. She'd meet him head on, put up a good fight and emerge victorious. And this time, _she_ would be the predator – him, the prey. And boy, was she going to play around with her food.

"_Sakura_!"

A strained, piercing shout penetrated her thoughts, jerking her back into reality. Turning back, she saw Deidara in a distance. Had she really walked that far? Making a mental note to be more alert about her surroundings and not to lose herself in her thoughts again, she called, "_What_?"

"_Tendon_!"

And suddenly Sakura just doubled over. There was Deidara, leaning weakly against a tree, feeble and vulnerable to attack. Slowly, she made her way to the panting blonde.

"How about I send you to heaven instead?" Sakura taunted. "_Look_ at you. A mere tendon and you aren't able to walk?"

Deidara sneered. "Well how about we have another round with my snapped tendon?" He challenged.

Smirking, Sakura shook her head. "I have better things to do than train you."

Offended, Deidara said hotly, "Ex_cuse_ me, Sakura-chan, _I_ am your sempai and I'm the one who should be complaining stuck training a little weakling like you...yeah. You'd better fucking appreciate it!"

"Oh, I appreciate it, all right," Sakura replied, reaching her hand out to his right leg.

And snapped another tendon.

Releasing a strangled screech, Deidara lunged at her.

_Here we go again.

* * *

_

**A/N:**_ Yes, I know, I haven't updated in **ages**. I'm lousy at keeping up with deadlines, unless it's schoolwork. Bleh. Anyway, brand new chapter, and the next chapter has already been polished up. Coming out soon. No more long waits! Rejoice my fellow readers!_

_If you'd realized, Deidara sounds a lot more dramatic in this story. That's because I get that kind of vibe from the manga. I'm sure we all have different opinions, but this is my story, so it goes my way, all right? I'm not going to change it, though I'm not stopping you from giving me feedback on your point of view._

_Many will view this as a filler chapter, but this chapter is actually pretty important in portraying Sakura's adaptation in her new life. Things may seem simple and straightforward now, but beware! I'm spinning a lot more than just a mere love story here. In case you haven't noticed, _Romance _is placed second for this story's genre._

_Of course, there is no way I am going to reveal who the presence is, even though it is pretty obvious._

_Lastly, I hope to give a warning to all my readers: This story plays around with emotions **a lot**, and at many times, it can be confusing. No, I am not going to explain anything until the story is over. Okay?_

**R&R, as always.**

**[Show a little appreciation here, huh:)**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters.

Spoilers: Many.

**Asininity**

**Chapter Six**

By A.Renika

* * *

The sky was velvet blue, with the tiniest hint of pink, and stars still shone vividly against its background, as if guarding over the earth with vigilant eyes. As the stars continued watching the world sleep, a squirrel scurried up the tree to its hidden nest, exhausted after moving all the nuts he'd found to his new private nest. He usually didn't go out searching for food in the middle of the night, but there were times when you just knew that something was about to happen. And the forebodance had taken its toll upon the poor animal, causing it to act against its nature. 

The man with onyx eyes focused solely on the blank wall in front of him. His face remained impassive, while a million things that ordinary people would never bother to think about ran through his mind. He, however, was no ordinary man, with extraordinary powers. Everything about him screamed _power_ right in your face.

He had once been a boy, carefree and jovial, his only goal was to surpass his older brother. His older brother, who loved him, cared for him and encouraged him. He would succeed so much that people would stop comparing him to his brother. He would be _himself_, wholly. He hadn't needed to think so much then, he only had to concentrate on his performance in Ninja Academy. He needn't plot against someone so malicious, so malevolent, that evil reeked off him. He was happy.

But that happiness was ripped cruelly, brutally from him at the tender age of ten. His older brother had massacred the entire Uchiha clan. His older brother had looked at him with such cold, blank eyes. A killing machine. A ruthless man. His red Sharingan, so bloody, so evil, that it was forever imprinted in his memory.

And he spared him.

He became the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, while his older brother turned against the country and disappeared, leaving only one message: _Come find me when you hate me._

And hate him he did. He hated him with every fibre of his being. He trained, every day, excelling in his many classes, working only towards one goal: Killing him. But it wasn't enough. When he met him again, he failed against him, a second time. _Your hate is not enough…_

If it wasn't enough to stay in the country, he needed out. And he turned his Uchiha symbol to the country, leaving, forever. This resolve would be enough. This time, when they meet, he will kill his brother. He had endured so much from his master. His master, who was cruel, sadistic and absolutely nasty in every possible way.

The onyx eyes narrowed.

Itachi will die.

* * *

Morning dew reflected the early morning rays as the world began to wake. Ants scurried frantically out from their anthill to begin another day of hard menial work. Bees buzzed from flower to flower, collecting nectar and transporting them back to their Queen. Small animals peeked out from their homes, ensuring the area was clear before dashing out to gather more food for another day's survival. Everywhere, nature was taking its course, bustling with life and energy. 

A curious rabbit wandered into a patch of land concentrated with many different types of greens. He tasted one of them – _yuck!_ – and spat it out immediately. These greens were nasty, even worse than the most common grass found in the middle of dry, arid land. The flavor was simply horrendous. And they looked well cared for, too!

Suddenly the rabbit's pupils dilated as he picked up footsteps approaching from a distance. He crouched low, afraid to move in case he alerted the stranger of his presence.

A shadow fell over him and his body went into shock when he felt pressure on his furry little body. His breathing increased tremendously as his heart sped up, his body taut and ready to dart for shelter. But – _oh_ – what was that, the pressure began moving up and down his body, miraculously calming him and soothing his anxiety. Soon he was arching into it, enjoying the stroking immensely.

"Those can't taste nice," a sweet voice like a melody rang out from the shadow.

Of course he couldn't understand, but the voice sounded nice. Finally, he risked himself and turned to look at the stranger. It was a human. He began to feel tense all over again. He had been warned about humans before; they were out to kill his kind.

As if sensing his thoughts, the strokes increased in an attempt to reassure him. "I won't hurt you."

He liked the sound, somehow. He decided that it would be safe with this particular human. This human didn't seem keen on hurting him. Feeling relaxed, he let out a yawn when the human scratched a particularly good spot. The human continued patting him while the other hand got busy with other things.

All the while, the human made the sound he loved so much.

"The morning is the best, you know. When the whole world is about to wake up, yet still asleep…

Beautiful creatures like you reveal yourselves, finally…

And there seems to be peace even if chaos rules my world for the rest of the day.

Keeps me sane, you know?"

The human kept making the lovely sound and the rabbit nudged the hand when it stopped stroking him.

The human let out a tingling sound that was joy to his ears. He was glad that the human was happy. Wishing to hear more of it, he continued nudging and nuzzling the hand.

"You are one precious thing…"

Sakura gazed at the adorable rabbit joyfully. It had been a while since someone gave her attention, and tried to make her happy. She laughed cheerily as she scooped the rabbit into her arms, and cradled him like a baby. She stroked his long ears blissfully, enjoying the soft touch of his fur. And that was when she noticed the small birthmark on the tip of his left ear. Caressing the spot gently, she lowered him onto the ground reluctantly. It was getting late; she had to do what she had to do.

The rabbit didn't seem to want to go. He kept close to her side while she plucked out the wild weeds that had crept their way into her private garden. He seemed to enjoy eating the weeds too. Sakura grinned when she saw that he hadn't touched any of her herbs. They probably tasted horrible to him.

Scanning her entire garden, Sakura nodded in satisfaction when she saw that all the wild weeds had been removed. Crouching low, she began examining her herbs, picking out the ripe ones that she needed. The rabbit continued watching her, hopping alongside her as she moved now and then.

Pleased with the full basket she had collected, she picked it up, ready to leave. Sakura bent down to face the young white rabbit.

"You keep yourself alive now, all right? You can have those weeds you liked so much if you want. Keep my garden healthy, won't you?" Sakura whispered, rubbing his ears lightly between her fingers.

He didn't know what the human was saying, but he did know that the human was leaving. He could feel it from the way the human caressed his ears. Perhaps the human would be back again. The greens seemed to be the human's, after all. And so, he turned and dashed off, back into the safety of his burrow.

Sakura watched forlornly as the rabbit ran off. She was back into the real world now. The sun had fully risen and it was now beating mercilessly down on her face. The magical appearance of the world in the morning had disappeared, leaving Sakura with the cold and heartless world she had come to know.

Then something burned on her finger.

Turning away, she left her private garden.

Perhaps the rabbit would welcome her tomorrow morning.

* * *

"Where the hell were you?" Deidara fired at her the moment she stepped into the house. "Now we're probably going to be late because of you!" 

Tobi sat silently next to him, as usual, and said nothing.

"I hurried back the instant I received the message," Sakura retorted in annoyance. Setting her basket down in the kitchen, "We can go now."

Akatsuki worked in ways she had never imagined. The Leader, whom she had yet to catch a glimpse of, was rich. He gave each pair – in their case, trio – a place to stay. Akatsuki made money from the numerous odd missions they took on; their price being more affordable than most others, so their services were more popular amongst the poorer countries.

But besides that, Akatsuki had another goal, which was to gather the strongest powers ever to walk the earth and combine them together. Their mission was to capture the foxes, from the one-tailed, to the ninth-tailed. Searching for them was the difficult part, since no one knew who they were sealed within. And as the number of tails increased, so did the difficulty to overpower them.

Akatsuki members weren't just traitors of their countries, either. They were well built, sturdy, tough and absolutely resilient. They attained and adopted extraordinary skills that made them almost invincible. They were all self-motivated, constantly seeking more power and more strength. They were greedy and merciless, cruel and brutal. In short, they were wild animals spinning out of control.

Above all, each and every one of them was a professional. They worked together when it was needed, no matter how many disputes they've had before or how much they really just want to stick the dagger in their partners' throats rather than their enemies'. They got things done, and that was that.

* * *

The trio reached the entrance of the dark cave. 

"Stupid spelunkers," Sakura muttered under her breath, like the very first time she'd been in there.

The Leader silenced the cave without even clearing his throat. The whole place just fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

"Something is brewing for our ex-Akatsuki member, Orochimaru," The Leader began, going straight into the point. "Deidara, Sakura and Tobi, you'll be going to Sound for information."

"Yes." The three of them replied instantaneously.

"You will finish him if he is not dead by then."

"Of course," Deidara replied boldly. "I've been wanting to lay my hands on him for a long time…yeah."

Sakura scoffed. Another thing about Akatsuki was that they were men. Men who were egoistic, proud and absolutely intolerable beings when it came to showing off.

* * *

"Sakura-_chan_! Why won't you let me just blow the whole thing up? Yeah?" Deidara whined, hands already preparing to form a seal. 

"Because, you _baka_, if he's not in there then there's no point!" Sakura retorted, angry at his impatience. It was hard to work with a person raring to go only at the most inconvenient times. Deidara had a tendency to act on impulse, completely ignoring Sakura's specific instructions and screwing up the whole plan. Sakura often lost her temper with Deidara because of that, and Deidara wasn't happy at all with being told off. And they would argue again. In short, they couldn't work together.

Tobi came with them this time. He had kept quiet though, not interfering with the plan, but not taking part in any of it either. Like always, he was just the audience.

The blonde continued fiddling with his hands, fidgeting, as if trying very hard to hold back.

Sakura glared daggers at Deidara. "Do you _want_ me to break your wrist?"

He finally seemed to notice the black cloud above her head, and took her threat seriously.

Sakura, on the other hand, was nervy and jumpy. Here she was again, so near, yet so far… She hadn't liked this place at all. And the mere thought of the laboratory gave her the creeps. Yet, this was the place she had finally seen him, after so many years…

Her heart churning with mixed feelings, she inched forward. She had to face it sooner or later. If she had the choice she would have chosen the latter, but the matter wasn't in her favor.

Taking a deep breath, she focused her mind. There were three guards this time, much lesser than the previous time they had attacked. Sakura huffed. Men. They were all the same. They think highly of themselves and thought themselves the smartest of all. Well, she was about to outsmart him.

"Hey, Tobi. How about you go in and take a look…"

* * *

**A/N:**_Finally, I get to the part where I've been itching to write for ages. Rest assured, Chapter 5 and 6 aren't redundant, just dull. Get ready for more action in the next chapter! It's going to be a challenge for me -- fighting scenes are definitely not my strongest point. I'm still honing my skills!_

_Give me a little support here, yeah? ;)_

_Anyway, I appreciate you guys adding me into Story Alert, Favorite Story, etc., but I'd like to **hear** more from you guys. If you know what I mean. Yeah, I mean clicking that little 'Go' button and giving me a bit of your thoughts._

_Communication is a two-way channel, let me know if what I'm trying to say doesn't make sense to you at all. I'm still learning here, along the way._

**R&R, as always.**


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